Every month, as many of you know, Green Lifestyles hosts the EcoSalon Film Series here in Los Angeles. The main goal of these films is to raise awareness and create tangible goals for individuals to have an improved and more sustainable life. This month’s movie covered a topic that really hits close to home for me, and for most of the population.
“Tumor: It’s in the System” was a three-and-a-half year long project by Valerie McCaffrey and Cindy Pruitt to put a focus on alternative treatments for cancer. While watching this film, I found myself going through so many different emotions; crying one minute and laughing out loud the next. I really felt for the characters. In many of them I could see myself, and my family members, reflected in their eyes.

About a month ago, my grandfather was abruptly diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer. It rapidly metastasized and spread throughout his bones and organs. My family was devastated and confused. Everyone knows cancer will affect someone they love at some point in time, but you just keep hoping it won’t be now. Ruth Rosen, whose daughter was diagnosed with a brainstem glioma, said in the film, “the nurse that [they] had come to trust and love over the last 12 months was telling [her] all of the things [she] didn’t want to hear…. You want to hear it because it’s not living in reality if you don’t listen to what they have to say.” I, sadly, know exactly how she feels. It’s hard to deal with cancer when it comes to making choices for someone you love. For most people, it’s easier to follow suit and take the path laid out by their doctor. I think the most important message this film portrays is that the drugs and chemotherapy that doctors encourage their patients to use are not the only option.

After watching this film, my thoughts about cancer treatments have changed greatly. The film opened my eyes to a more holistic approach to the war on cancer. I now feel it is best to treat the cause, not the symptoms. Dr. Dan Rogers, a man with a trail of designatory letters and accreditation a mile long, said it best when he stated, “conventional medicine falls far short of [what] really is needed and that’s because they basically treat symptoms.” Doesn’t it make sense that the best way to make yourself better is not to make yourself sicker through chemotherapy? Chemo is a poison. Why should we kill so many of the good cells in our bodies with hopes of getting a few cancer cells at the same time?

Through the elimination of genetically modified foods, eating organic, cutting beef out of your diet, and exercising you create an environment for your cells to flourish. Over the past one hundred years there have been so many people and organizations that have found alternative methods, such as Dr. Max Gerson (1946) and Rene M Caisse R.N. (1930’s). I have heard testimonies that herbal remedies, acupuncture, and diet changes are among the many different factors that can help. Please don’t take my or the film’s word for it. Take the time to do your own research, go to the Annual Cancer Convention, and really understand all of your options.

The one thing I took away from all of the interviews with patients and people affected by cancer is to make sure you have peace within yourself, good humor, and a great outlook on life. Be positive, be informed, and don’t give up.

You are worth it.

For more information about the film you can contact Greenlifestyles.org or Be A Revolution Productions.

Jessica is a Los Angeles writer and blogger who has a passion for environmental advocacy and education. After acquiring a B.S. in Environmental Geography and English at Ohio University, she moved with her husband to San Diego where she worked as an Education Coordinator at a reputable non-profit organization. With years of experience under her belt in E.E., she began teaching Montessori to be able to reach children in a comfortable and impacting environment. She now is a writer and editor for Natural Child World Magazine and also volunteers her time for Green Lifestyle Film Festival. When she’s not working hard on her passions, she finds herself playing with her dog and cat, and being outdoor whenever possible: hiking, camping, and climbing.

About the Author

Jessica is a Los Angeles writer and blogger who has a passion for environmental advocacy and education. After acquiring a B.S. in Environmental Geography and English at Ohio University, she moved with her husband to San Diego where she worked as an Education Coordinator at a reputable non-profit organization. With years of experience under her belt in E.E., she began teaching Montessori to be able to reach children in a comfortable and impacting environment. She now is a writer and editor for Natural Child World Magazine and also volunteers her time for Green Lifestyle Film Festival. When she’s not working hard on her passions, she finds herself playing with her dog and cat, and being outdoor whenever possible: hiking, camping, and climbing. More from this author »

April 2014 EcoSalon Film

Unacceptable Levels examines the results of the chemical revolution of the 1940s through the eyes of affable filmmaker Ed Brown, a father seeking to understand the world in which he and his wife are raising their children. To create this debut documentary, one man and his camera traveled extensively to find and interview top minds in the fields of science, advocacy, and law. Weaving their testimonies into a compelling narrative, Brown presents us with the story of how the chemical revolution brought us to where we are, and of where, if we’re not vigilant, it may take us.